Binnorie- Pinkerton; 1781 Child Version N (Twa Sisters)
[First published as "Binnorie" in Herd's "Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, Etc," Volume 2 (1776). Also from Pinkerton's Scottish Tragic Ballads, p. 72. I've included Pinkerton's text from his 1781 book, Scottish Tragic Ballads (below Child's) published after John Pinkerton (1758-1826) moved from Edinburgh to London. He states the text is "from tradition" but as Child points out he wrote half the text (see Child's opinion directly below). The stanzas that have not been heavily rewritten are Child's stanzas 1 and 7-14. The refrains are traditional and were used by Scott for his version published in 1802.
About 1775 while living in Edinburgh Pinkerton became an apprentice to Aytoun and began writing a new ending for the Scottish poem Hardyknute. He became an acquaintance of Percy, who was working on later editions of his Reliques. In 1778 when Pinkerton was just nineteen, he submitted the text of Scottish Tragic Ballads featuring his version Hardyknute and other ballads including Binnorie to Percy's publisher James Dodsley in London. It was rejected at that time and published in June 1781 by John Nichols, Percy's relative.
In his book, "Scotland's Pariah: The Life and Work of John Pinkerton, 1758-1826" Patrick O'Flaherty calls Pinkerton an antiquarian, poet, forger, cartographer, historian, serial adulterer, bigamist, and religious skeptic.
R. Matteson 2014, 2018]
In Child's Additions and Corrections he says: "Pinkerton tells us, in the Preface to his Ancient Scottish Poems, p. cxxxi, that "Binnorie is one half from tradition, one half by the editor." One fourth and three fourths would have been a more exact apportionment. The remainder of his text, which is wholly of his invention, is as follows:
'Gae saddle to me my swiftest steid;
Her fere, by my fae, for her dethe sail bleid.'
A page cam rinning out owr the lie:
'O heavie tydings I bring,' quoth he.
'My luvely lady is far awa gane;
We weit the fairy hae her tane.
Her sister gaed wood wi dule and rage;
Nocht cold we do her mind to suage.
"O Isabel, my sister," she wold cry,
"For thee will I weip, for thee will I die."
Till late yestrene, in an elric hour,
She lap frae aft the hichest touir.'
'Now sleip she in peace,' quoth the gallant squire;
'Her dethe was the maist that I cold require.
But I'll main for the, my Isabel deir,
Full mony a dreiry day, bot weir.'
BINNORIE- Child 10; The Twa Sisters- Version N; [Pinkerton's] Scottish Tragic Ballads, p. 72.
1 There were twa sisters livd in a bouir,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Their father was a baron of pouir.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
2 The youngest was meek, and fair as the may
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Whan she springs in the east wi the gowden day.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
3 The eldest austerne as the winter cauld,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Ferce was her saul, and her seiming was bauld.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie.
4 A gallant squire can sweet Isabel to wooe;
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Her sister had naething to luve I trow.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
5 But filld was she wi dolour and ire,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
To see that to her the comlie squire
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
6 Preferd the debonair Isabel:
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Their hevin of luve of spyte was her hell.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
7 Till ae ein she to her sister can say,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
'Sweit sister, cum let us wauk and play.'
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
8 They wauked up, and they wauked down,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Sweit sang the birdis in the vallie loun.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
9 Whan they cam to the roaring lin,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
She drave unweiting Isabel in.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
10 'O sister, sister, tak my hand,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And ye sall hae my silver fan.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
11 'O sister, sister, tak my middle,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And ye sall hae my gowden girdle.'
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
12 Sumtimes she sank, sumtimes she swam,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Till she cam to the miller's dam.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
13 The miller's dochtor was out that ein,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And saw her rowing down the streim.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
14 'O father deir, in your mil-dam
Binnorie, O Binnorie
There is either a lady or a milk-white swan!'
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
15 Twa days were gane, whan to her deir
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Her wraith at deid of nicht cold appeir.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
16 'My luve, my deir, how can ye sleip,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Whan your Isabel lyes in the deip!
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
17 'My deir, how can ye sleip bot pain
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Whan she by her cruel sister is slain!'
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
18 Up raise he sune, in frichtfu mude:
Binnorie, O Binnorie
'Busk ye, my meiny, and seik the flude.'
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
19 They socht her up and they socht her doun,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And spyd at last her glisterin gown.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
*20 They raisd her wi richt meidle care;
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Pale was her cheik and grein was her hair.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
----------
Footnote:
*20. This stanza occurs also in B c (17), and was perhaps borrowed from Pinkerton by the reviser of that copy.
__________________
XIII. B I N N O R I E
From Tradition.
To preserve the tone, as well as the tense of this Ballad, the burden should he repeated through the whole, though it is here omitted for the sake of conciseness.
"THERE were twa sisters livd in a bouir;
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Their father was a baron of pouir,
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie.
The youngest was meek, and fair as the May,
Whan she springs in the east wi the gowden day;
The eldest austerne as the winter cauld,
Ferce was her faul, and her seiming was bauld.
A gallant squire cam sweet Isabel to wooe;
Her sister had naething to luve I trow;
But silld was stie wi dolour and ire,
To fee that to her the comlie squire
Preferd the debonair Isabel;
Their hevin of luve of spyte was her hell.
Till ae ein she to her sister can fay
"Sweit sister cum let us wauk and play."
They wauked up, and they wauked down,
Sweit fang the birdis in the vallie loun!
Whan they cam to the roaring lin,
She drave unweiting Isabel in.
"O sister! sister! tak my hand,"
And ye fall hae my silver fan;
"O sister! sister! tak my middle
"And ye fall hae my gowden girdle."
Sumtimes she sank, sumtimes she swam,
Till she cam to the miller's dam:
The miller's dochter was out that ein
And faw her rowing down the streim,
"O father deir! in your mil dam
"There is either a lady or a milk white swan!
Twa days were gane whan to her deir
Her wraith at deid of nicht cold appeir:
'My luve, my deir, how can ye sleip,
'Whan your Isabel lyes in the deip?
'My deir, how can ye sleip bot pain,
'Whan she by her cruel sister is slain?'
Up raise he sune in frichtfu mude,
'Busk ye my meiny and seik the flude.'
They socht her up, and they socht her doun,
And spyd at last her glisterin gown:
They rais'd her wi richt meikle care;
Pale was her cheik, and grein was her hair!
'Gae, faddle to me my swiftest steid,
'Her fere, by my fae, for her dethe fall bleid.
A page cam rinning out owr the lie,
"O heavie tydings I bring!" quoth he,
"My luvely lady is far awa gane,
"We weit the fairy hae her tane:
"Her sister gaed wood wi dule and rage,
"Nocht cold we do her mind to suage.
''O Isabel! my sister!" she wold cry,
'For thee will I weip, for thee will I die!'
''Till late yestrepe in an elric hour
"She lap frae aft the hichest touir"——
'Now sleip slie in peace!' quoth the gallant Squire,
"Her dethe was the maist that I cold require:
"But I'll main for thee my Isabel deir,
'Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Full mony a dreiry day, hot weir,
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie.'